


Growing Up

by redroses100



Series: Fall Out Boyfriends [6]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Happy Birthday Izaya and Enora!, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Not Beta Read, Time with the grandma, birthday fic, like a champ, running away from responsibility, same, tagging is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 19:46:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14527869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redroses100/pseuds/redroses100
Summary: “What the actual f*ck?”“You wouldn’t answer my calls.”“So you came hundreds of miles to check on me because I missed a few phone calls?”“You mom paid for my train ticket.”OR It's a very special week for Izaya. it's the week when he disappears for no reason with no word to anyone and freaks the fuck out of his very concerned boyfriend! Yaaaay! (I'm like 97% sure this could be read as a stand alone. But ya know, don't quote me on that)





	Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nono_rarara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nono_rarara/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to my favorite emotionally constipated trash bag boy, Izaya Orihara! And a very Happy Birthday to my best bud, nono_rarara (aka Enora!) I hope you enjoy the fic!

It’s always a lot quieter out where my grandmother lives. Granted, she lives nearly an hour from any city in any direction, but still. It’s abnormally quiet. And she seems to relish in it!

Natsu will just sit by an open window, listening to the wind rustling through trees and the occasional trill of an animal. But all of the familiar noises of the city are absent. No people chattering. No cars beeping and screeching. No supernatural abominations running around. It’s always tough to transition to for the first few days. And I’m not the only one who notices it.

“You’re so restless.” Natsu snaps at me. I glance up from my phone, realizing too late that I’m tapping my feet relentlessly against the windowsill I’m curled up in. She glowers at me until I stop. “I thought that you came up here each year to get __away__ from the restless air of the city. Instead you bring it with you.”

“I come up here every year to visit you, not to leave the city.” I deadpan. She only raises an eyebrow, far from convinced. She knows what week it is, after all. “Whatever. My restless air always goes away within a couple days.” I remind her.

“But it’s so irritating!” She objects. “Here! Go into town and pick these things up. It’s for dinner on Friday.” Natsu shoves a grocery list in my direction. I begrudgingly stand from my little curled up ball.

“It’s only Tuesday.” I sigh.

“Yeah, it’s only Tuesday and you’re already driving me insane. Go. Get.” She shoos me away, already turning back to her manuscript as I’m pulling on my shoes at the door. Natsu likes her peace and quiet. But I can also tell she likes having me here. It’s not like she gets many other visitors.

“I’ll be back.” I call to her, closing the door behind me.

The little village my grandmother lives in is modern enough, in the sense that they have a laundromat and a few places to eat, etc. But no one really drives in town- unless you count tractors. And it doesn’t matter, because the place is small enough that everyone is more than capable of getting around on foot or bike- even though most of the population is at least 60 years old.

I’d hate to live in a place like this. It has its redeeming factors I guess, but not nearly enough. It’s too small.

Still, I do look forward to my yearly visit. It’s always the same time of the year when I come here. Nice and warm, but not too swampy like it can get in Tokyo. I never have to put on my jacket- in fact I usually leave it in Shinjuku. I wear shorts and a t-shirt and hardly ever put on shoes. It’s the perfect time of year.

My phone buzzes continuously before I get halfway to the convenience store. I normally leave my phone in Shinjuku as well- or if I don’t, then I hardly ever take it out of my suitcase while I’m up here. The reception is terrible anyway.

But this year is different. And the difference is the person calling me right now. I blink down at Shizuo’s name on my phone display and pause in my walk to really debate answering it. I probably should- that’s the only reason I brought the damn thing, so I could answer if Shizuo called.

But I don’t want to. It’s only been a day since I got here. I want to soak it in a while longer before I get desperate to talk to him. The call runs out of time, going to voicemail and making up my mind for me. I turn off my screen and keep walking.

I’m sure he’ll forgive me. We’ve been in a pretty… _ _okay__ place for a while now. More often then not he stays the night at my place. And Namie has accused me of becoming disgustingly domestic a lot lately. Which I think is supposed to be an insult. The fact that I take it as a compliment does worry me a little.

I didn’t used to be like this. Last year when I came up here, Shizuo didn’t even know I was gone. And I was perfectly happy with that. This year…I feel almost guilty about leaving without a word.

Which is stupid! I’m allowed to do whatever the fuck I want with my life! I don’t need his permission! I don’t need to give him a constant play-by-play of the things I do!

I wish I didn’t feel so much like I’m making excuses right now.

The store closest to Natsu’s place is usually empty. It’s run by a family who lives above the shop. I’ve been coming out here on a regular basis for so long that they recognize me by now. The old lady running the register today even remembers my name as I bring my handbasket up to her.

“Good to see you, Izaya-kun.” She smiles fondly at me, typing the items in my basket into her register manually. That’s how old the damn thing is. Ridiculous.

“Good to see you, Handa-san.” I acknowledge.

“How is your grandmother?” I’m actually pretty sure that Handa-san knows better than I do. Natsu is down here a lot, after all. And apart from this one week a year, I hardly ever speak to my grandmother. But that would be a lot to unload on this ancient old lady.

“She’s good.” I say through a forced smile. Handa-san hums happily, piling my things into a paper bag. My phone starts buzzing in my pocket again right as she holds out her hand for money. Which basically leaves me juggling a ringing phone and cash while Handa-san stands there smiling peacefully at me.

“Oh dear, do you need to answer that? Your girlfriend might be angry if you ignore her.” She points out, blatantly staring at the ‘Shizu-chan’ blinking on my display screen. I fight to hold in a laugh.

“Oh no, she’ll be fine. I’ll call her back when I get home.” I promise, all but shoving the yen at her. With that out of my hands, it’s easy to swipe ‘ignore’ on the call and turn off my phone altogether. If Handa-san is judging me for any of this, she doesn’t mention it. Or display it. She merely counts out change for me, as serene as can be. As slow as can be too, for that matter.

I’m not sure why I’m suddenly in a hurry. But the second she hands me the change, I grab my bag and all but run. It takes me nearly a kilometer to snap out of it and slow down to a brisk walk.

Old people are infamously bad at making assumptions. And normally I would be amused by someone calling Shizuo a girl. I would tell him about it too, just to see if I could get that vein in his forehead to bulge like it used to. I haven’t seen it in a while, so it would be worth the try.

But I dunno…I feel like I did something bad just now. Pretending that she was right, and that Shizuo was a girl. I could have said it was my boyfriend calling, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. I’ve seen Handa-san interacting with a young gay couple before, and she loved them! Even if her opinion did matter to me, which it doesn’t, it’s not like she would have been disgusted by the admission.

So why didn’t I say anything?

“You’re back fast.” Natsu sounds disappointed by this when I walk back into her house. I roll my eyes.

“I’ll try not to ruin your peace.” I mutter dryly, taking her groceries to the kitchen to put away. She’s rearranged things a little since I was last here, but it’s still easy enough to find a place for everything. I feel my grandmother’s eyes on me the entire time I’m mechanically going through the motions.

“Did something happen at the store?” She asks bluntly.

“Not at all.” I aim for bored. It comes out more on the side of ‘emotionless’, but it’ll do. Or, it would if I wasn’t talking to one of the few people in the world who can read me exceptionally well. Natsu narrows her eyes at me, lowering the manuscript in her hands to make it very clear that she’s onto me now. “I think I’ll take your advice and relax a little. A small nap should help, don’t you think?”

I prance past where she’s sitting in the living room, slipping down the hallway and to her guest room. I won’t nap, but I will take a break from her prying eyes and even more prying questions. She’s not very good at boundaries, that woman.

But then, neither am I. I’ve never had boundaries when it comes to Shizuo. I’ve never been embarrassed of him. So why didn’t I just casually admit that he was my boyfriend probably calling to check up on me?

Why am I making such a big deal of this anyway? I mean, if anything, I should be freaking out because I ignored Shizuo’s call. Twice. And then turned off my phone. He’s gonna be fucking pissed.

It’s a damn good thing I’m hundreds of miles from Tokyo. Otherwise I would have a monster knocking on my door any minute now.

~~~

It takes me until Thursday night to turn my phone back on. For half a second while it wakes up, I let myself think that it won’t be a big deal. There’s no missed calls, messages, or voicemails. Everything is fine.

But then it connects to a signal- as best as it can up here- and they come flooding in.

To Shizuo’s credit, he’s only responsible for a handful of calls and messages. The voicemails are mostly from clients, and the other missed calls are from Mairu, Kururi, and Kyouko. Namie and Shinra have each sent me a few messages too- Namie’s were to complain about Shizuo, so I’m blaming those ones on him.

In total, over two nights and one day I’ve collected 18 notifications. By the time I’ve read through and listened to everything I feel like the last few days of total, cold turkey relaxation have completely disappeared.

And, for that reason, I turn my phone back off without replying to a single one. I can deal with all of that stuff later. Clients can wait, and so can my family members. They know better than to try and contact me right now. If they really needed something they would call Natsu. Which means that, more than likely, they’re just trying to pester me.

As for…the others. They’ll survive. I’m sure of it.

I stuff my phone into the bottom of my suitcase, content to wait until I’m back in Ikebukuro to check it again. It’s possible this could be considered avoiding responsibility. That’s fine. Totally okay with that.

Natsu is making tea when I wander out of her guest bedroom. She’s been in a pretty good mood today. Probably because I haven’t been ‘too restless to bear being around’ today.

“Has anyone called for me since I’ve been up here?” I ask idly, jumping up onto the kitchen counter next to where she’s making her tea.

“Why, are you expecting someone to call?” She asks in a silky drawl.

“Don’t be stupid.” I sigh.

“I’m the family crazy lady, it’s my job.” The temptation to roll my eyes has never been stronger. I settle for another soft sigh instead.

“As hard as it is to believe, I think there’s crazier than you in this family, Natsu.” In fact, I’m pretty damn sure of it.

“Hmm. If you think so.” She hums. “So, who are you waiting to call?” She hands me a cup of tea, then turns and takes her own into the living room to settle back in her chair. I open up the main window, bringing my knees up to my chest as I sit on the sill.

“No one important.” I claim. She doesn’t buy it for a second.

“You know, your mother called me around Christmas time. Just to tell me they’d be having a proper holiday with you kids. But she mentioned the strangest thing.” Natsu starts slyly. I cut her to the chase.

“That I’m in a relationship with a man who used to hate me?” I suggest. She pouts at me.

“Way to cut the momentum.” I grin pointedly. “In any case, yes. And she wasn’t very happy about it. But the last time I talked to your sisters, they wouldn’t stop going on about your beloved. They made him sound like the gods’ gift to the earth. So you’ll understand if I’m a bit confused.”

“Shizu-chan is just Shizu-chan. Not a gift, and not a curse. Just him.” Honestly I feel hypocritical just saying that, considering how high the pedestal I always put him on was. But lately I’ve been really trying to see him more as an equal. I know that’s what he wants for us. But it can be difficult, when I still find myself as loathsome as dead fish eyes most days.

“I see.” Natsu hums, like she’s heard all of what I’ve just thought. “And do you love Shizu-chan?”

It feels like a trick question. No matter what I answer, Natsu is unpredictable enough that I’m not sure what her response will be. It’s unnerving.

“So what if I am?” I go for a defensive route. She studies me, sipping long and slow from her tea while she does.

“That’s good. I was wondering if I’d live to see the day.” Blunt as ever. But it is a relief in a way. Handa-san I couldn’t care less about. But if Natsu wasn’t on board with this whole thing…that would be a difficult thing to come to terms with.

“Glad to know what you think of me, Natsu.” I grumble, taking a sip of my own tea. It’s a nice cool evening, and the warmth of the drink in my hands is especially nice because of it.

“Does he feel the same?” Natsu pries after a few moments to let me simmer down. I swallow around the thick knot in my throat.

“Yeah. He does.” It’s still crazy to me. But he does. He’s told me, many many times. Natsu smiles ever so slightly, the barest lift at the corner of her mouth that she hides with another sip from her tea. If I wasn’t looking so hard for it, I’m convinced I’d have missed it.

“Good. That’s good.” She murmurs. And this time she lets the silence stay.

~~~

“And where are you going?” I pause in the middle of flipping through pictures to look up at Natsu. She’s in the doorway to the kitchen, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

“Um, to take pictures?” I gesture in the general direction of the outdoors. She frowns even harder.

“So you’re going to abandon me here to cook for you while you wander out to be a tourist? When you could have been doing that for the last several days?” She  demands harshly.

“Well, when you put it like that…” I shift awkwardly from one foot to the other. “Yes. Yeah, I’m doing that.”

Natsu throws her hands up. “Unbelievable. You’re too much like your father.” She points a wooden spoon at me accusingly.

“Honestly that’s a relief, usually people tell me I’m too much like Kyouko.” Not that being compared to Shirou is way better or anything. And I know she didn’t mean it as a compliment. But the best way to irritate her is to pretend that it was.

Sure enough, she looks about ready to chuck her spoon at me. “And when will you be back from your adventuring, while I’m slaving away in the kitchen?”

“No one asked you to slave away in the kitchen, Natsu. By all means, come with me if you want. It’ll only be a six kilometer hike up to the waterfall that I’ll take maybe four pictures at, to send home to my freak of a best friend. And then six kilometers back. Should only take maybe three hours, because of course you’ll be keeping up with me the whole time, right?” I challenge.

She’s quiet for a moment, no doubt trying to find a way to reclaim her high hand on this one. My smirk grows a little more the longer she’s silent.

“You wash dishes tonight.” She commands.

“Of course.” I snicker, beginning to back away towards the door. I had intended to linger around the house a little longer before heading out, but no time like the present. Especially when there’s an irritated woman pointing a wooden spoon at me like it’s a weapon.

It’s a nice day outside, perfect hiking weather. It has me moving slower than I first thought I’d be going. But I do have a little extra time, being driven out by Natsu and all. Eventually I pick up my pace though, unsatisfied with the scenery of her quaint little town.

The waterfall that’s just north of here is stunning to behold, I’ve been there a few times now. And I like sending pictures of myself in potentially life threatening positions to Shinra. He pretends not to get upset, but Celty has told me to stop doing it, so I know he whines to her about it.

Last time I managed to get a great picture that made it look like I was falling off the cliff the falls cascades down. How, oh how, could I possibly beat that? I’m gonna have to try. I’m committed now.

I’m not leaving the waterfall until I successfully simulate my death.

~~~

Totally worth it. Even if I’m still soaking wet by the time I reach Natsu’s home, it was 100% worth it. Shinra is going to kill me when he sees these.

I’m staring at the pictures I took with a wicked grin, so I don’t notice the difference in Natsu’s living room right off the bat. And in my defense, no one says anything to me either, they just let me wander right into the kitchen, practically cackling with glee.

So when I turn around and see Shizuo sitting casually across the couch from my grandmother, I think my yelp is justified.

“What the actual fuck?” I demand, embarrassed and therefore angry. Shizuo looks pretty proud of himself for scaring me. He doesn’t even have the decency to pretend otherwise.

“You wouldn’t answer my calls.” He states bluntly, sipping from one of my grandmother’s teacups.

“So you traveled several hours to check on me because I missed a few phone calls?” I seethe. He shrugs.

“You mom paid for my train ticket.” I’m going to murder that woman.

“Izaya, don’t you think you’re being a little unfair?” Natsu calmly asks, breaking into the conversation. I turn a fierce glare on her that she doesn’t even seem to notice.

“Unfair?” I repeat moodily.

“Shizuo told me that you disappeared without a word to him. Of course he would be concerned about you. You’ve been here for nearly a week, and didn’t tell him anything about it.” My rage subsides instantly, overpowered by embarrassment and something that could possibly be shame.

“So what? I’m not allowed to visit my grandmother without making a big scene out of it?” I’m instantly resorting to defensiveness. Shizuo sighs, putting down his tea and standing to approach me.

“Can we talk, Izaya?” He asks me softly. I want to be a pain in the ass and unhelpfully point out that we’re already talking. But I know he would just be so patient and the bigger person and I couldn’t take that right now. I really couldn’t.

“Fine.” I gesture for him to follow me, leading him back to the guest room I claim for my own whenever I’m up here. The second I close the door behind us, I’m expecting the argument to start. But Shizuo grabs me and backs me up against the wall to kiss me senseless before I can say anything.

“I missed you.” He tells me freely, like it doesn’t cost him anything to admit it.

“It’s been less than a week.” I point out, rolling my eyes.

“I was worried. But then I called your mom, and she said that you do this every year. And I felt bad because I’d never noticed before. So I was gonna let you have your time up here with your grandma.”

“That worked out well for you.” I sigh, gesturing to his presence in general. Obviously his conviction needs a little work.

“Well, I was going to. But then your sisters told me something interesting.” Shizuo cups the side of my face, leaning in to press his lips against my other cheek. I can tell it’s warm with a flush that’s not just embarrassment. “I never knew your birthday. I guess I foolishly assumed you’d tell me when it was getting close.”

“It’s not my fault you’re a moron.” I huff. “Not that it matters. It’s just another day.”

“Right. Just another day. That’s why you always come up here to stay with your grandma for an entire week. Because it’s just another day.” I don’t like being mocked by people in general. But being mocked by my stupid boyfriend is just downright ridiculous.

I slip out from between him and the wall, pacing over to the only window in the room to throw it open. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. And I don’t have to tell you when I go places.” I insist, staring outside instead of looking at him.

“You’re right. You don’t have to do either of those things.” He promises, stepping up behind me and planting his hands on either of my hips. “I guess I just hoped that at this point you would want to.” His chest crowds in against me, every inch meeting with every inch of my back. “I hoped you’d want to spend your birthday with me.”

“I don’t want to spend my birthday with anyone. Because it doesn’t matter. It’s just another day.”

“Is that what you told yourself all growing up, because you didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with?” I feel something ancient and yet so young aching in my chest. I glance over my shoulder at Shizuo. “That’s what your mom said, when I asked why you did this every year. She told me her and your dad were never home. And you never had friends to hang out with. So you never celebrated your birthday.”

“I’m so thrilled you and my mom are so chummy now.” I snarl, whipping my face back around. Unbelievable. Kyouko is such a fucking traitor.

“Well, we were both worried about you. So we shared intel.” I shudder to imagine what kind of things Shizuo told her in return. “I wouldn’t have made a big deal about it, you know. Especially if you didn’t want me to. We could have just gone to the park. Or Shinjuku Gyoen. I bet it looks beautiful right now.”

“You think it looks beautiful all the time.” I dismiss, mostly because I don’t want to acknowledge the guilt building in me.

“Mm, not all the time. It’s decidedly less beautiful when you’re not there.”

“You are the cheesiest motherfucker I’ve ever met.” I mutter. He chuckles, kissing my neck.

“You don’t have to be alone anymore. You have friends now. And you have me.” He encourages me gently. I let my head lull back against his shoulder.

“You don’t understand.” I’m sure he’s never spent a birthday by himself in all his life. In fact I’m fairly certain he’s had people fight for his attention on his special day. Between his loving family, numerous friends, and me- there was always a reason to lurk in Ikebukuro on his birthday- I’m sure he’s always had a packed day.

Not that I’m jealous! Yeah, it’s true I never got a celebration when I was a kid, but I got over that when I was maybe five. It’s a trivial practice for a trivial event that means nothing. It’s useless and a waste of time.

“I may not understand your experiences, but I understand you. And I know that you’re trying to look like you’re above this whole thing. But it’s okay to be human, ‘Zaya. It’s okay to want a day for yourself.” He kisses my neck again, just below my ear. I purr a little despite myself.

“I don’t care.” I insist. Shizuo hums softly, clearly not believing me. He continues kissing and nuzzling me, even nipping at my earlobe. I shiver, though it’s not entirely from his actions.

“Are you cold? You’re all wet.”

“No shit, when did you notice?” I sneer, pulling my shirt over my head. He’s so very helpful, unbuttoning my pants and sliding them down slowly. Finally I sigh, pushing them down myself and stepping out of the soggy clothes.

I move away from Shizuo to find something dry and warm to put on. But he only follows me, circling his arms around my waist to pull me back against him. The front of his shirt and pants are damp from being pressed up behind me. It’s not exactly what I would call comfortable.

“Stop it, I’m cold.” I whine. Shizuo chuckles.

“Let me warm you up then.” He suggests. One of his hands creeps down over my thigh, barely avoiding my dick.

“We are at my grandmother’s house. Do you know how long it would take me to live something like that down?” I snort derisively.

“I know you can be quiet, remember.” Shizuo’s palm slides around my cock, beginning to stroke immediately. I suck in a harsh breathe, grabbing his wrist. “Or, if anything, just tell her it was a birthday present. I’m sure she’d understand.”

“You clearly didn’t talk to her for very long.” His thumb slides over the head of my dick. I bite down on my bottom lip to kill a whimper. “Shizu-chan…”

“Shh…that’s not being very quiet.” He whispers his taunt in my ear, following it with a quick kiss to the lobe.

“I am going to murder you and wear your dick like a medal.” I warn him. He laughs, stroking a little firmer from base to tip and back again. I writhe, twisting against Shizuo, who holds me gently, but still firm. Most of my attention is on proving him wrong, and staying as quiet as I always used to.

Which is good and all, considering that my grandmother is drinking tea just a few walls away. But it also means I don’t have the force of will to try and hold out for a long time. Which in turn means he’s able to work me up to throbbing hardness unfairly quickly.

“Sorry I ruined your birthday by showing up.” Shizuo murmurs into my ear.

“Now?! You’re bringing it up now?!” I hiss, reaching behind me to grab a handful of his hair. A hard yank has him growling in his throat and increasing the pressure of his palm around my cock. My whine is low and satisfied for the few seconds before I cut it off.

“You wanted to be alone.” He reminds me.

“Fuck you, I’m not alone anymore. Is that what you wanted to hear?” Based on his pleased hum, I’m assuming that’s exactly what he wanted to hear. “So fucking petty.”

“I’m learning from the best.” He purrs, biting my neck to punctuate the statement. “Happy birthday Izaya.”

His thumb sliding through my slit again sets me off, leaving me gasping as quietly as I can while I spill over his hand. He’s too fucking good at doing that. Fuck him.

“Nngh…I hate you.”

“I know.” He doesn’t sound the least bit remorseful. “Can I stay for your birthday dinner, or am I in too much trouble for that?”

“Goddamn it, you can stay if you stop talking about my birthday. It literally does not matter. And it’s not a birthday dinner, it’s just dinner.”

“Okay.” He isn’t convinced in the slightest. It’s annoying. But I settle for muttering unflattering things about his character while cleaning myself up and getting dressed. Shizuo catches me by the wrist to pull me back to him once I’m done. “I love you.” He tells me softly, kissing me with a slow intensity that has me arching into him.

“Yeah yeah.” My returning mutter is lackluster. But it still makes him smile like I’m the one who just jerked him off. He kisses me once on the tip of my nose and lets me go to lead him back out to the living room.

“So you come up here every year?” He asks thoughtfully, gazing around at everything as we make our way down the hall. There’s tons of photos and awards and stuff on the wall. Natsu pretends not to have pride- in herself or her family- but her house says otherwise.

“Yup.”

“So you’ll come up here next year too?” He’s fishing now. I sigh at how obvious he’s being.

“Yup.” He’s quiet, waiting patiently to see if he won’t have to keep prying. “I guess it could be useful to have someone else to take the pictures of my dead body. You can come with me if you want. Next year.”

Silence. And then, “I’d be honored.”

More silence. And then, “What was that about your dead body?”

Even though I think he’s an idiot for coming all this way to see me just because of some arbitrary day that doesn’t mean anything, I have to admit that I’m glad he’s here.

Not a bad birthday after all.

And I can’t help but to wonder just how next year will be.

**Author's Note:**

> Tis a wee bit short, but per the norm i procrastinated to hell and back, so in order to get this out on time sacrifices had to be made. The sacrifice was my sanity, but ya know. that's beside the point.


End file.
